47 Bird Deaths A Mystery

Experts Suspect Pesticides

TAVARES - The deaths of dozens of birds at the U.S. post office on U.S. Highway 441 may have been caused by pesticides or other chemicals used at or near the facility, a wildlife official said Sunday.

The Lake County Health Department is waiting for tests to be done on one of the 47 black birds that died on the post office grounds last week. Meanwhile, nearby residents and local environmental officials want to know how so many birds could die so quickly in the area.

The first clue may be found on the grounds of the post office, according to Donna Morris, a bird specialist at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Uncle Donald's Farm petting zoo in Lady Lake.

Several commercial pesticides such as Diazinon and Dursban can be very harmful to birds and other wildlife if used in large quantities. Chemicals used to kill insects have been suspected insimilar bird deaths in the Orlando area in recent years.

Toxic poisoning could explain how so many birds could die in a small area around the post office. Most diseased or sick birds will spread out, turning up dead miles apart, depending on flock patterns.

Many birds also will show signs of illness before death.

The birds showed up within days at the post office, alarming some customers who noticed the carcasses lying in the grass outside the facility.

``I immediately thought some kids may have been responsible,'' said Bonnie Allgood, a resident at the El Red mobile-home park next door, who said she saw three or four of the dead birds.

``You don't usually see dead birds, so it surprised me to see more than one lying around,'' Allgood said.

Health Department officials investigated the deaths last week and asked about the use of chemicals at the post office.

The state Department of Agriculture and the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also were contacted for assistance.